It's not only Labasa that has lots of people with mental illness roaming the streets. Lautoka has its fair share also. However, I find it rather interesting that they are in town and I wonder if all are really mentally ill or just pretending.
Like a young man who is always seen talking to himself and doing odd things. We were seated at the sekoula tree at the Lautoka market one Friday and he came along and bought $1 of yaqona. When the yaqona vendor picked up the cloth that was still filled with kosa, he said, "Oe, sova laivi na kosa, dau gunu ca na yaqona ni lose tale na kosa. (Spill away the kosa. The grog tastes bad when it is remixed)
To me, this person seemed very in touch with what was going on. And then there was this young man who passed a shop that was playing a Michael Jackson song and he stopped to dance to the music. Many of us stood and watched to admire his movements. When the music stopped he looked up and winked at us. Made us wonder if he was fooling us.
But there are new faces of mentally ill persons in Lautoka. I wonder if one of them were to hurt a passerby, can they be prosecuted? I believe there are a few who have been removed by the authorities back to their homes or relatives, but some return to town where there are many interesting things for them to do.
Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Fiji. I thank Allen for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
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